Chapter Mission and Bylaws

PRSA Lookout fulfills the national organization’s mission to advance the standards of the public relations profession and to provide members with professional development opportunities through continuing education programs, information exchange forums and other projects conducted on a local and regional level.

The Bylaws of the Lookout Chapter, which govern the operation of the Chapter, were revised and approved by the membership in November 2017.

Article I – Name

The name of this nonprofit professional organization shall be the Lookout Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, Inc. (PRSA).

Article II – Objectives

In accordance with the objectives of the Public Relations Society of America, the objectives of this Chapter shall be to advance the art and science of public relations in the public interest; to encourage research, discussion and study of the problems and techniques of the public relations profession; to strengthen and maintain the highest standards of service and ethical conduct by all members of the profession; to exchange ideas and experiences and collect and disseminate information that may enhance or improve the professional knowledge, standards, ethics and standing of the membership; and to promote fraternalism within the profession.

Article III – Membership

Section 1. Eligibility. To be eligible for membership in the Chapter, a person must be a member in good standing of the Society. Any such member of the Society is eligible for membership in the Chapter.

Section 2. Admission to Membership. Admission to membership in the Society shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of the bylaws of the Society. Any person admitted to membership in the Society shall become a member of the Chapter, if eligible, upon payment of Chapter dues.

Section 3. Retirement Status. Any member of the Chapter who has been a member of PRSA in good standing for at least five years and is gainfully employed for less than 50 percent of the time is eligible for retirement status. Members on retirement status shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of membership.

Section 4. Termination of Chapter Membership. Any member who for any reason ceases to be a member of the Society or is dropped from the Society’s roll for non-payment of dues shall cease to be a member of the Chapter and shall be dropped from the chapter roll.

Section 5. Non-discrimination. The Society shall in all deliberations and procedures subscribe to a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of race, creed, religion, disability, sex, age, color, national origin, or sexual or affectional preference.

Article IV – Dues

Section 1. Amount. The amount of Chapter dues shall be fixed annually by the Chapter’s board of directors and shall be payable in accordance with Chapter fiscal policies.

Section 2. Nonpayment of Dues. Any member whose chapter dues are unpaid for three months shall be considered not in good standing and shall not be entitled to vote, hold office or enjoy other privileges of Chapter membership, provided such member shall have been duly notified.

Section 3. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Chapter shall be the calendar year.

Article V – Board of Directors

Section 1. Composition. The governing body of the Chapter shall be a board of directors consisting of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, immediate Past President, Accreditation Chair, PRSSA Liaison, Public Relations Director and three Directors-at-Large. These officer positions are considered voting members of the Board of Directors.

Section 2. Directors-at-Large. On the first board of the Chapter, one director shall serve three years, one director shall serve two years and one director shall serve one year. Thereafter, one director shall be elected each year by the Chapter membership at its Annual Meeting to serve a term of three years beginning January 1 and until his/her successor is elected and installed.

Section 3. Vacancies. In the event of death, resignation, removal or expulsion of any officer, director or Assembly Delegate, the board of directors shall elect a successor who shall take office immediately and serve for the balance of the unexpired term or until the next annual election.

Section 4. Removal. Any director who misses more than two consecutive board meetings without an excuse acceptable to the board may be given written notice of dismissal by the Chapter President and replaced in accordance with Section 4 above.

Section 5. Board Meetings. There shall be at least four quarterly meetings of the board of directors at such times and places as it may determine. It shall meet at the call of the President or upon call of any three members of the board of directors. Notice of each meeting of the board of directors shall be communicated to each director at least seven days in advance.

Section 6. Quorum. A majority of the board of directors shall constitute a quorum for all meetings of the board.

Article VI – Elected Officers

Section 1. Chapter Officers. The elected officers of the Chapter shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Accreditation Chair, Public Relations Director and PRSSA Liaison. The Officers shall be elected by the Chapter membership at its Annual Meeting for a term of one year and until their successors are elected and installed.

Section 2. President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Chapter and of the board of directors. It shall be the President’s duty to monitor the activities of the Society and from time to time make recommendations with respect thereto to the Board of Directors. He/She shall appoint all committees with the approval of the board of directors and shall be ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. He/She shall perform all other duties incident to the office.

Section 3. Vice President. The Vice President shall in the absence or disability of the President exercise the powers and perform the duties of the President. He/She also shall assist the President and perform such other duties as shall be prescribed by the board of directors. The Vice President will also chair the Professional Development Committee, and in this capacity be responsible for planning monthly meetings and other professional development events.

Section 4. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep electronic records of all meetings of the Chapter and of the board of directors, including detailed minutes, voting records, notes on policy and procedure changes, and perform all other duties customarily pertaining to the office. The Secretary will also serve as a backup to the Treasurer, when necessary.

Section 5. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive and deposit all chapter funds in the name of the Chapter in a bank or trust company selected and approved by the board of directors. He/She shall issue receipts and make authorized disbursements by check after proper approval by the President or the board of directors. He/She shall prepare the Chapter’s budget, make regular financial reports to the board of directors, render an annual financial statement to the Chapter membership and perform all other duties incident to the office.

Section 6. Accreditation Director. The Accreditation Director is responsible for administering the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) examination program for the Chapter. The Accreditation Director shall promote the value of the APR designation to Chapter members year round and advise candidates on proper preparation for the Examination. A qualified Accreditation Director must have earned his/her APR and be considered a member and APR designee in good standing with PRSA.

Section 7. Public Relations Director. The Public Relations Director is responsible for creating a better understanding and awareness of the PRSA Lookout Chapter among key publics and handles the publicity for any or all activities or events.The PR Director also promotes the value of PRSA National and Lookout Chapter membership through the Chapter’s various communication vehicles.

Section 8. PRSSA Liaison. The student liaison shall serve as a communication link between all local Public Relations Student Societies and the Lookout Chapter. This Board member will serve by virtue of their position and may be a full-time faculty member or PRSSA sponsor at a local university.

Section 9. Compensation and Reimbursement. No elected officer of the Chapter shall be entitled to any salary or other compensation. The board of directors may reimburse elected officers or Assembly Delegate(s) or their alternates for their expenses incurred in connection with the performance of their duties.

Article VII – Other Elected Positions

Section 1. Other elected positions of the Board of Directors include the three Directors-at-Large.

Section 2. Directors-at-Large. Serve as additional officers on the Board of Directors. One director shall be elected each year to serve a term of three years.

Each Director-at-Large will have responsibility for overseeing the Chapter’s efforts in a number of areas. One will act as Advocacy Director, whose role it is to create a broader, deeper understanding of the value of public relations among key internal and external stakeholders. The role of the Advocacy Director is to fulfill advocacy goals and build recognition of PRSA as the profession’s leading voice on important industry, societal and global issues.

A second Director-at-Large will act as the Chapter’s Ethics and Diversity Director. The Ethics and Diversity Director shall promote and inspire the highest levels of ethical behavior and performance among PRSA Lookout Chapter members, as well as building commitment to diversity and inclusion. This position works with the Vice President to ensure chapter programming includes training in ethics and professional standards, and keeps ethics and diversity issues in the forefront of members’ minds through quarterly newsletter articles and other educational tactics.

A third Director-at-Large will work with the Immediate Past President to assist that individual with recruitment of new members to the Chapter.

Additionally, the three Directors-at-large will serve as co-chairs on the Awards Committee.

Section 3. Past President/Membership Chair. After the President completes his or her term, he or she serves as Past President/Membership Director. Primarily, the Past President serves as a consultant to the Chapter and the Board of Directors, and as Membership Director is responsible for recruitment of new members to the Chapter.

Article VIII – Appointed Position

Section 1. Assembly Delegate. The Appointed Position of the Chapter shall be the Assembly Delegate. The Chapter president, vice-president, or his or her designee shall serve as a Chapter delegate to the PRSA National Leadership Assembly, participate in pre-Leadership Assembly conference calls and report any voting issues to the Board. As a minimum requirement, in accordance with PRSA bylaws, all delegates shall either be Accredited or a current or former board member of the Chapter.

Article IX – Nominations and Elections

Section 1. Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee helps provide continuity in the chapter’s leadership. The Committee explores the qualifications and willingness of members to serve as directors, officers and assembly delegate(s). There shall be a Nominating Committee of no fewer than five members, at least two of whom are accredited, who are appointed by the President with approval of the board of directors at least 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Chapter. The Immediate Past President shall serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee.

Section 2. Nominations. The Nominating Committee shall name a qualified nominee for each office and for each director whose term is expiring. It shall ensure that each nominee has been contacted and agrees to serve if elected. Additional nominations, if any, shall be accepted from Members at the Annual Meeting providing the nominees have been contacted and agree to serve if elected.

Section 3. Notice of Membership. At least 30 days before the Annual Meeting of the Chapter, the Nominating Committee Chair shall send to all Chapter Members the list of nominees prepared by the Nominating Committee.

Section 4. Elections. President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Accreditation Director, Public Relations Director, PRSSA Liaison and three Directors-at-Large shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of the Lookout Chapter. Elections shall be by majority vote of the Members in good standing present and voting. Balloting in contested elections shall be by secret ballot. Elections may also take place electronically.

Article X – Committees

Section 1. Standing Committees. The Standing Committees shall be the Executive Committee, Nominating Committee, Professional Development Committee and Awards Committee.

The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Immediate Past President and may meet at the discretion of the President to discuss matters of importance to the Chapter.

The Nominating Committee helps provide continuity in the chapter’s leadership. The Committee explores the qualifications and willingness of members to serve as directors, officers and assembly delegates. The Nominating Committee shall name a qualified nominee for each office and for each director whose term is expiring. See Article IX, Section 2 above.

The Professional Development Committee, working with the Vice President, shall plan and execute monthly meetings and other professional development events in keeping with the interests of the membership.

The Awards Committee shall be responsible for planning and executing any professional achievement awards and recognitions as approved by the board of directors. The Awards Committee is responsible for developing a sustainable awards program that salutes the best in public relations programs in the area. Responsibilities include development promotion of the awards, development of submission and judging criteria, coordination of reciprocal judging with another PRSA chapter, comprehensive banquet planning and other associated duties.

Section 2. Special Committees. Special committees may be established and appointed by the President with approval of the board of directors. Special committees may be formed on Accreditation, Membership, Public Relations, Public Service and/or other areas of focus.

Section 3. Committee Reports. The chairperson of each committee shall report its activities regularly to the board of directors. All committee activities shall be subject to approval by the board of directors.

Article XI – Chapter Meetings

Section 1. Annual Meeting. There shall be an Annual Meeting in October or November each year at such time and place as may be designated by the board of directors.

Section 2. Regular Meetings. In addition to the Annual Meeting, there shall be regular monthly meetings at least eight times a year at such times and places as may be designated by the board of directors. After-hours or other social events may substitute as a monthly meeting as designated by the board of directors.

Section 3. Special Meetings. Special Meetings of the Chapter may be called by the President, the board of directors or on written request of 25 percent of the Chapter members.

Section 4. Notice of Meetings. Notice of the Annual Meeting shall be sent to each member at least 30 days in advance. Notice of a regular meeting or special meetings shall be sent to each member at least 10 days in advance.

Section 5. Quorum. One-third of all members of the Chapter shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Chapter. This includes business conducted by electronic vote.

Article XII – Amendments

These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the Members present at any meeting, provided such proposed amendment(s) has been approved by the Chapter’s board of directors and at least thirty-days notice has been given to all members of any proposed amendment(s). Amendments adopted in accordance with this provision become effective only after approval by the Society.